I saw a thread on here that gave me great encouragement about making a rotted out cab over area repair myself, right up to the point that i realized that the one I was looking at and mine were no where near the same.
After starting in to my 2000 Minnie I quickly surmised that the building structure of mine and the other were two different animals. Now I feel stuck as to what to do. I feel like if i continue to take the wood out i may compromise the seals on the walls and open up more trouble.

So Ive stopped, I have determined that the damage is pretty much isolated to the floor of the cab over and the right wall, everything else seems solid.

My first Question is if I take it somewhere, How much will a repair of this kind cost me?
My second is has anyone been able to claim it on their insurance?

So far my day is shot, so I will practice my putting and hope for a reply soon.

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I saw a thread on here that gave me great encouragement about making a rotted out cab over area repair myself, right up to the point that i realized that the one I was looking at and mine were no where near the same.
After starting in to my 2000 Minnie I quickly surmised that the building structure of mine and the other were two different animals. Now I feel stuck as to what to do. I feel like if i continue to take the wood out i may compromise the seals on the walls and open up more trouble.

So Ive stopped, I have determined that the damage is pretty much isolated to the floor of the cab over and the right wall, everything else seems solid.

My first Question is if I take it somewhere, How much will a repair of this kind cost me?
My second is has anyone been able to claim it on their insurance?

So far my day is shot, so I will practice my putting and hope for a reply soon.

Thanks Mark

Hi Mark,
There are several different manufacturers and as many different construction methods. Depending on age there can be different methods from the same manufacturer. The cost to repair would depend on the amount of damage and who does the work. Most RV service facilities (these are the ones most qualified as they deal with RV's) charge between $100 to $150 an hour for labor plus parts. As far as insurance coverage, I think (and I could be wrong) if the water damage was caused by some sort of accident (while you owned the RV) probably yes. If it was caused by poor maintenance by a previous owner then probably no.
Todd

Lack of maintenance = no insurance claim.
Accident, if not sealed correctly during repairs = no insurance claim unles you can take it back to the repairing shop and get them to fix it.
Wood rot takes time to develop so the leak existed for a while.
If there's rot then there is already a problem with the outside sealing.
If you're paying for repairs at shop rate it may cost more than the rig is worth.

Lack of maintenance = no insurance claim.
Accident, if not sealed correctly during repairs = no insurance claim unles you can take it back to the repairing shop and get them to fix it.
Wood rot takes time to develop so the leak existed for a while.
If there's rot then there is already a problem with the outside sealing.
If you're paying for repairs at shop rate it may cost more than the rig is worth.

X2 on this. Depending on the age and value of the RV, most shops may suggest not doing it because the cost would be more than the RV is worth.
Todd

It is a 2000 and the rest of the rig is in great shape. I did have a window repair done last year and I am a bit peaved that they didn't let me know there were more issues. But not sure that insurance would take that into consideration.
Feeling stuck with a huge problem!

I know how you feel, but honestly, that doesn't look that bad. Yes, it's bad, but with a reasonable amount of woodworking skill, you can easily do those repairs yourself. I have damage (actually more than you) to mine as well, but haven't had a chance to fix it yet. Although, I have pulled a few pieces off, and believe it or not, it's really not that much under there. If you like the rig, then this is worth repairing. I'm sure you have a friend or relative that could help a little ??

Water damage repair is always a treat, but probably fixable with some basic skills and patience.

For me the question is: What do expect when you're done? If you are restoring it to like-new condition it will involve far more work.

If your goal is to get a few more years out of the coach and perfection is not the goal, then doing the minimal to get the coach sealed and return structure to the cabover seems like a reasonable approach.

You may be able to save some of the wood by using a special penetrating epoxy, or cyanoacrylate (super glue) to solidify damaged and delaminated wood.

For epoxy i would go to www.delamrepair.com
Minwax (stain company) makes a wood repair product too.